The invention relates to a coupling for connecting a tubing to a medical instrument, apparatus or other tubing, consisting of two releasable coupleable coupling parts of which the second coupling part is allocated to the instrument, apparatus or other tubing and the other first coupling part is to be connected to the first mentioned tubing, wherein in the coupled condition the first coupling part with a convex spherical surface lies against a concave spherical surface formed on the neighbouring region of the second coupling part, and both coupling parts are sealingly axially braced against one another.
Couplings are known which by way of balls, threads (EP-A-0 634 190) or by way of bayonette connections (Luer couplings), permit the coupling of tubings to medical instruments and apparatus. The disadvantage with such couplings is that the coupling and decoupling of tubings to medical instruments and apparatus is only simple and safe when the coupling parts are well accessible so that they can be easily gripped with the fingers and rotated off. Since all these couplings require a rotation at least of one coupling part about the axis, then particularly when on the coupling part to be rotated there is connected a tubing with a small modulus of elasticity, with a frequent coupling and decoupling, the tubing is excessively stressed.
There are also couplings known (DD 258 746 A5) from which the invention proceeds and with which the longitudinal axes of both coupling parts, before being connectable to one another, must firstly be aligned exactly flush with one another, since the coupling parts can only then be inserted together and connected. Such couplings are quite complicated with regard to their handling. This also applies in the same sense to couplings which are represented and described in DE 33 14 640 A1, DE 23 56 093 A1 and WO 93/08870.